


As Above

by Luna_Page



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s), Romance, Tom Ellis - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-02 20:56:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6581986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_Page/pseuds/Luna_Page
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>History repeats itself, and we're the fools who think they can change it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 01

“Come on. You have let me go with you! It has everything to be exciting!” He begged at the blonde woman in front of him.

“No.” She simply said. Chloe grabbed her gun, badge, car keys and started out the precinct, with Lucifer in tow.

He didn’t come to the precinct often. Not because he didn’t want to, but Chloe had forbade it since every woman in the building would simultaneous start drooling.

The partners stopped when they heard screaming coming from the direction of the interrogation rooms.

“I told you it wasn’t me!!” A female voice shrieked, as the door to the interrogation room B opened. The tall woman, was furious but tired. Her sandy smooth skin, tinged with red from anger and her eyes furious as the officer dragged her down. “No! Let me explain!”

Chloe felt rather then saw Lucifer’s demeanour change. She turned to him and saw him stand even taller, his shoulder tense, jaw clenched and his eyes furrowed to the point where his eyes almost appeared totally blacked out. Chloe started to really worry when she heard the low growl coming from him. He went from mischievous and excited to downright furious in 5 seconds flat.

“Luci…” Chloe started but he just stalked towards the woman and the officer. The detective panicked. This isn’t going to end well. Those strides weren’t Lucifer being nice those where Lucifer on bloodlust.

“Let her go!” He roared. 

And when he fell silent the whole police station fell silent. That hadn’t just been a shout, an order. No, those three word had layers. It seemed to go through everybody. Like a wave. Like a tsunami hitting the shore several times.

Even the woman that had been pushing her feet down on the floor kicking and screaming fell silent looking at him, astounded. Nobody moved.

“Did you not here me?” Lucifer said, calmer this time. “ Let the woman go.”

From inside the room Dan appeared and Chloe jolted awake. She was still confused as to what was happening to leave the, normally relaxed and nonchalant Lucifer, in a state of such rage that might have started a small earthquake. But Dan was not on Lucifer’s favourites list and Chloe, didn’t need her years of experience to know, heads will be rolling if Lucifer got his hands on Dan.  
“Lucifer! No!” Chloe hollered at the man. She grabbed his arm and he spun to her his eyes sparkling red, she swallowed fear and stood her ground. “Enough!”

“What the hell is going on?” Dan asked, looking at the scene in front of him. He looked at the handcuffed woman and then at his ex, his gaze finally resting on Lucifer.

“Don’t bring Hell into this! Let her go!” Lucifer roared once again, but didn’t advance any more.

“What!?” Dan frowned deep. “Chloe take your deranged boyfriend away from the precinct!”

Chloe pulled Lucifer’s arm but to no avail. He wasn’t moving. He slowly turned to her, his eyes looking like coals.

“Get her out of those handcuffs or I will…” he said lowly and Chloe rolled her eyes

“I can’t…There’s a reason she’s in handcuffs” Chloe turned to Dan. “What did she do?”

“Nothing!” The woman pleaded fiercely.

“First degree malicious arson.” Dan said, putting his hands at his waist, while the woman looked down at her feet, looking as guilty as she could.

“Casualties?” Chloe asked and Dan nodded. “Evidence? Alibi?”

“No alibi. Circumstantial, physical and past behaviour.”

“What kind of physical?”

“Sole survivor…” Dan said and Chloe nodded, raising one eyebrow. 

The detective looked at her ex, he was professional and diligent, but sometimes he would like just put a case on auto-pilot and let it go. The woman was the only suspect mainly because she was there and survived.

“As any hearing been arranged?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah. Tomorrow. Preliminary Hearing...” Dan groaned, sick of this back-and-forth. “Get her into the cells.”

“She goes nowhere!” Lucifer growled once again and Chloe was half sure the paste-board on the wall trembled.

Dan had had enough, for once this week he had a open shut case and now he had to deal with this self-entitled jackass telling him how to his job? He stalked towards him and Chloe groaned, her hand firmly on Lucifer’s elbow.

“I don’t know or care what’s going on in that head of yours, or what is your involvement in all of this, but you don’t get to come into my precinct and order me around! You want to solve cases you get your ass into the police academy and then you can do whatever the hell you want! As of right now you are nothing! Get your ass out of here or I’m arresting you right where you stand.” 

Chloe’s eyes flew open at Dan’s tone and placed another hand on Lucifer’s elbow. She’d seen him throw a guy out a window with a swipe, she can only imagine what he’d do with the amount of anger in him right now. The blonde woman could feel Lucifer become increasingly hot, through his blazer, with every word Dan spat at him, she was almost certain there was smoke coming out of his tightly clutched hands.

“Lucifer, please.” Chloe whispered astoundingly calm “Let’s go…He can’t just let her off. Come on.”  
The fallen angel and the male detective stared into each others eyes for exactly 1min and 30 seconds, Chloe counted. Each second that ticked Chloe became more and more concerned. The British man’s body temperature started to go down and she sighed.

Dan scoffed and turned around, grabbing the woman’s shoulder and escorted her to the jail cells on the precinct, while Chloe pulled Lucifer the opposite way. He turned his head towards the arrested woman once more but she had already turned the corner.

Once outside Chloe turned to the taller man and crossed her arms on her chest, looking up at him. What had happened inside had been extremely unprofessional, even from Lucifer who wasn’t a police officer, it laced her on the spot of bringing him into her work place. But most of all it had been completely out of character for him. She stared at him as he stared at the at the building, probably hoping it would crumble under his gaze.

“Hey!” Chloe snapped her fingers in front of her friend’s eyes and he snapped out of his daze. “Care to explain what was that?”

“She’s innocent!” He simply said and Chloe raised her eyebrows.

“And you know this how?” Then something crossed her mind, and her face shifted. “Please tell you didn’t burned that house down…”

“What? No! If I wanted fire I would have stayed in hell…but she’s innocent.” He said once again. He started pacing the floor.

“You know her.” It was more of a statement then a question but he nodded.

“Yes. Long time ago.” he started to explain, but stopped. Shaking his head. “It’s complicated.”

Chloe frowned. From what she could tell the woman didn’t seem to show any type of recognition towards him. 

“How do you know she’s innocent?” She repeated the question.

“She just is!” he raised his voice again and Chloe frowned angrily. He looked away for a while and then his face changed as if he had found the answers to everything that was wrong in the world. 

It scared her a little. 

“Take the case.”

“Take the case?” she asked and then it dawned on her what he said. “No! I can’t take the case…that’s Dan’s case.”

“Detective you saw the same thing I did inside. Detective Douche is going to make this the easiest case in his career. I know you saw it and I know you know there’s something iffy about that!”

“I don’t even know what the case is about…”

“But you don’t like the way he’s going about it!” He countered.

Chloe had to admit she knew that Dan was going to do everything he could to make this case easy. If she did have past behaviour that helped his circumstantial, the woman was done for. Chloe looked away trying to clear her mind.

“She could be guilty…even with me on the case. That doesn’t change. I don’t even have justification for this…what do I tell my superiors. ‘Huh I guys? I really have a feeling about this one!’ that worked well last time.”

Chloe’s head was going a hundred miles per hour. 

She’d be lying if she said Lucifer’s behaviour didn’t intrigued or worried her. And if that wasn’t enough, he had been the most helpful partner she ever had since they met. An unofficial, meddling, exaggerated, cocky, egocentrically and completely inappropriate at times partner, but he had in fact been a valued help to her.

“Don’t worry about your chief and the assignment. Leave that to me.” Lucifer said, a mischievous glint coming back to his eyes 

“Don’t get me fired.” 

“Would I ever?!” He said indignantly and cocked her head to side as if thinking.

“We still need to wait for the pre hearing tomorrow. They could make her wait trial in prison.”

“Not a problem.” He shrugged as he sank his hands into his blazer pocket.

“Please don’t do anything that either of us will regret later.” 

“Not a problem.” He repeated confidently. “And now if you excuse me, I have some business to attend to…”

Lucifer was about to turn around when he heard Chloe’s voice.

“I gotta a condition for this whole thing!” She said and he immediately turned around.

“Well do tell…” 

“I’ll help you but you tell me who she is and what on earth is going on.” The woman put up her chin defiantly, leaving no  
room for negotiation.

“Very well. But first you help her and then I’ll tell you whatever your heart desires about this matter” 

“Do I have your word?” She knew his word was iron. He swallowed and nodded. She wasn’t convinced. “Say it.”

“You got my word.” He said leaning down to her eye level.

She nodded and he walked away. She had to figure this out. Chloe had never seen him react so fiercely to something. Well, she had but it was usually something against him. He was a self-centred creature who only took offence to something that was about him. So this behaviour was completely out of character.

With a sigh, Chloe went on to her business, she knew the case she was on right now was going to pass hands very quickly, but she wasn’t one to sit on her desk twiddling her thumbs and wait. Until that folder landed on her desk she wasn’t stopping this case.


	2. Chapter 02

And land on her lap it did. Soon after she came back from lunch, there were three thick folders on her desk. One of the was so large it was ripping apart.

The detective sat down at her desk and sighed. She grabbed the smallest one. By the colour of the folder, it was the evidence and the reports pertaining to this case. The second folder was other cases the woman had been involved in. Dan had indeed talked about past behaviour but this was too much. The third and thickest was her medical files. Chloe scanned through some of the files, read some of the hospital names. Mostly mental institutions.

“This is beyond unprofessional Chloe.” A male voice said behind her and she rolled her eyes.

“No Dan…this” she pointed to the folders on her desk. “is beyond unprofessional. This is why you wanted this over. So you didn’t have to comb through this.”

A look of guilt flashed through his eyes and she knew what wase said was the truth.

“Really? Dan?” Chloe shook her head in disappointment. At first her tirade had just been a front. Something to throw at his face. An excuse for a fight. Now that she knew that it had been the truth it made her sick. “Have you even read a single page on any other file that isn’t about this case??”

“You had no right to go behind my back..” she didn’t let him finish.

“Screw you Dan!” She stashed the folders in her bag and walked out the door.

Chloe got home and spread the folder on her table kitchen table, not knowing where to start. It was half past three and she had to pick Trixie up at six, so she had to organise. She grabbed the case folder, since she needed to familiarised with the case, and was about to start to read it when her phone buzzed. A text message.

_[I take it you’ve got the files. Do tell if you need any help going through them. XoXo Lucifer]_

_[These aren’t files Lucifer. These are compendiums.]_

The detective put the phone beside her and started on her light reading.

An halfway house had been burned down. Beginning of the night. The one’s that weren’t dead were dying. The house was old. A controlled gas leak and a man-made spark made the whole thing implode in flames. It had been arson. No doubt.

The woman, Ofelia Castillo had been outside the house when it happened. First responder on the scene said she was leaving. Her own testimony said the explosion happened just as she was arriving.

Chloe looked at the pictures. Light tan complexion, big green eyes, pouty lips, black hair. Tall, a little on the chubby side. Average looking female, Chloe made note, not Lucifer’s type.

There were traffic cam shots of the explosion a cd with the its recording. While her computer turned on, the detective looked at the photos. Their quality was bad, blurry but there was a figure entering the house at 7pm yesterday, that Dan had marked it. The next shot was at 9pm when the explosion took place. And the next was at 9:20 when the police and fireman arrived, another black hooded figure was marked.

So according to Dan, Ofelia had went in at 7, opened the gas, and then left after the explosion? When did she leave?

Dan’s report noted the she could have left through the fence behind the house. Testimony said that some of the girls in the house used to go out that way when they wanted to miss curfew.

But why come back? With an explosion that big wouldn’t it be easier to watch away from the house?

She read the girl’s testimony, paralleled with Dan’s.

According to Ofelia she had left on a job hunt at 8 in the morning and stopped by the laundry place nearby, stating that the owner let her wash her things and even keep some luggage there. She never stayed in one place for long. Curfew in the house was 9:30, with an extended curfew at 10pm if you had an excuse, like a job that required shifts. So where was she at 7pm? Walking from a job interview to another. But Dan, with his yearning for an easy case hadn’t check that out. Traffic cams worked during the day too, the detective thought. She emailed the people who could get her that footage and turned to the other two folders.

Get to know the suspect. She grabbed the thickest folder, separated the files by institution. She may need some help understanding half of what she was reading so she grabbed her phone.

 _[Need the name of that doctor friend.]_ Five seconds later her phone buzzed.

_[I have lots of doctor friends]_

_[The one you’re have intercourse with.]_

_[That doesn’t really shortens the list, dear.]_

Chloe growled and researched her files for the case she had worked with the said doctor.

_[Dr. Linda Harris]_

_[Oh yes, that doctor I have intercourse with. Why do you need it? What did you find?]_

_[Just give me the number Lucifer.]_

Another five seconds ticked away before her phone buzzed with an number.

She dialled and had a brief talk with the therapist. Twenty minutes later Chloe was knocking on the doctor’s door.

“Come in.” Linda said adjusting herself on the chair, as Chloe propped her head inside the office. “Yes, yes come in.”

“Thank you for receiving me.”

“It’s no problem...” The doctor smiled and Chloe mirrored. “So you said this was about a case?”

“Yeah.” The detective took out the massive folder from her satchel and plopped it down on the doctors table. Linda jumped slightly back when she saw the thing and Chloe smiled apologetically. “I know. It’s a lot but I just need the gist of it.”

Linda looked at the Detective and nodded. Before she had came in Lucifer had called her and explained that she was to do what she could to help Chloe on this and by the tone of his voice she could tell it wasn’t a normal case. He would pay her for the patients she had to dismiss and even promised another ways of payment. She hated to be so biased to him, but that man was a basket case she wanted to understand. He wasn’t just any patient, he was actually a poster boy to why her work was needed.

The doctor opened the folder and scanned through the files that Chloe had previously arranged by institution, but the doctor was rearranging them by diagnosis.

“I have to be honest Detective. This type of mental diagnosis aren’t my specialisation.” Linda said as she looked through the files.

“I understand, but you might make something more out of it than me.” Chloe said sighing and leaning into the chair she was sitting on. It was now four thirty and she was still trying to figure out the suspect. She shook her head. At least she was trying to understand the suspect and actually do her job. Unlike Dan. He’d just let her burn in the fire.

 

It took the doctor a good half an hour to do what Chloe asked her, and by the expression on the doctor’s face it wasn’t good. She had actually flinched a couple of times. While the doctor had been busy with the medical files, the detective had been busy with the personal ones.

“Well, to put it simply, she says she hears voices in her head.” Linda said, handing Chloe a piece of paper. It was a self-commitment petition to be admitted at an institution, date from 2010. In a curly cursive she had written ‘the voices are getting louder’, ‘no sleep for a week’.

“No sleep for a week makes anyone hear voices.” Chloe breathed out and Dr. Harris nodded.

“True, but she had been institutionalised before, and that makes all the difference.” The doctor gave the detective another piece of paper. From 2000. This time it had been her father that had been the one to admit her to the hospital. She had been 13 when she was first put in an mental hospital. The same description was given as the reason for her admittance.

“You see, Detective, everyone has voices in their heads.” The doctor explained, taking off her glasses and leaning into her desk. “You may have had the experience of hearing someone call your name only to find that there is no one there, or when you talk to yourself and your mind answers back. Thing is, if the symptoms are exaggerated it could be diagnosed with a multitude of mental issues.”

The doctor got up, grabbing several papers and walked to the front of the desk, she leaned against it.

“Some of them include bipolar-disorder.” She handed the detective a psychiatric evaluation from 2002 with the words schizophrenia bolded. “Or schizophrenia.” Another paper, from another hospital, this time from 2007. “Or even psychosis.” Another paper, dated 2005.

“These issues, couldn’t they have been dealt with at home? With medication?” The detective asked.

“Not if she’s a risk to herself or others.” The doc grabbed three more papers. She had slashed a nurse in 2005, tried to escape one of the institutions and started a fight with another patient on another facility.

“Okay, so she has a history of mental issues. Why the constant moving?”

“Well, most of the facilities seemed to have closed down dude to external matters. Some tragic external matters. One of the wards, for example, had a carbon monoxide malfunction in the middle of the night. Other had some sort of riot against the staff. Another seemed to have a problem with the water or food? Other times she was moved around because the ward just hadn’t the resources to treat her.”

“Was she the culprit, of the ones that ended badly?” Chloe asked and the Doctor shrugged.

“From what I read she didn’t seem that malicious. Violent yes, but not to the point of organising such acts. I mean a riot? From the reports she’s more the type to show aggression one-on-one. Or towards herself.”

“And was she the only survivor of those circumstances?” Linda shook her head.

“Oh no! Several patients and doctors survived the occasions.”

Chloe was silent for a minute. The girl had indeed have problems in the past, but according to her files, not to the point of committing mass homicide.

“When was she released from the last one?” Chloe asked.

“Up until 2005, she had been admitted by her father. After that, she start to go in herself. And then around 2010, she got out, after a doctor reported she was as healthy as a 23 year old woman could get. Miraculously, he said, if I remember correctly.” The doctor grabbed a paper on her desk and scanned in with her eyes. “Yes. ’The patient seems to be fully recovery, the treatment received is having the expected results. The patient is allowed to leave the ward whenever she wishes, as long as she keeps the treatment going.’”

“She went from having a multitude of issues to being cured?” Chloe frowned.

“Not necessarily. She could’ve have gotten really good at lying. Or the doctor wanted to get rid of her as quickly as possible. But the fact is, after 2010, she didn’t went back to another hospital.”

“Yeah, she kept moving from one place to another. Halfway houses mostly, women’s shelters.” Chloe concluded.

“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help to you, detective.” Dr Harris smiled sadly and Chloe shook her head.

“No, you’ve been a great deal of help. It just paints a bigger picture than I was expecting.” The therapist smiled once again and rearranged the papers inside the folder once again.

“If it helps any, I think whatever it was, she now has it under control. From the self admitting papers, she knew when she needed to be helped, and that says a lot about someone’s character.”

“Thank you Doctor Harris.” Chloe smiled politely grabbing the folder from the other woman’s hand.

“You’re welcome Detective Decker.”

\---

The detective spent the rest of the night reading up on the girls priors and just like Dr. Harris stated, any act of aggression was towards a single person or a group of people that had targeted her directly. Apparently Ofelia had a mean right hook. She had been in some brawls, since she left the wards. She had broke a few chairs over some guys head. The only prior with any similarities with this one was the car incident.

According to a police report from 2012, her boyfriend at the time had used her as a punching bag once and after turning the tables on the guy by breaking three ribs and his nose, she had torched his car. When asked how she could actually do that damaged to her boyfriend she had simply stated ‘self-defence class’, to which Chloe was tempted to believe since some years ago those things where all the rave and thank-god for that.

Other than that, she was never charged with anything remotely similar to this thing.

Tribe was watching some disney cartoons on the TV and Chloe thought about Ofelia’s father having to go through that with his daughter. In and out of hospitals, seeing his child suffer like this. She caressed Trixie’s hair and the girl looked up at her with a tootsie smile.

There was a knock on the door and Chloe didn’t need to even see who it was. By the silhouette outside the door she could tell Lucifer was standing there, hands in his pockets, tapping his foot on the ground waiting for her to open the door. She made it to the slower than needed just to mess with him.

“Finally! What were you doing? Does it involve a male companion? If yes I wanna know all about it!” He smiled grand and Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Lucifer!” Trixie jumped up and ran up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and as usual, Lucifer’s face fell and he looked as disgusted as possible.

“Bye Lucifer!” the girl shrieked and ran off. Chloe had to snort to stop herself from laughing at the man’s disgusted face.

“I really hope she’s vaccinated…” Lucifer said as if he had been exposed to deadly virus. He shrugged it off and looked at Chloe intently. “I’ve had a funny little chat with the judge that’’s going to be presiding over the hearing. Sneaky little man, should know how to erase his internet history…”

“Lucifer, no!” Chloe said bringing her hands to her head. “That’s not how you do things.”

“Actually it’s not how you do things. I’ve been doing this for quite a while and it’s always works…as it’s proof that tomorrow Ofelia will be out on bail.”

“Oh my God…I can’t believe you bribed a judge!”

“He’s not really yours and who said anything about bribing. If anything I showed him a more clear path to solve everything in his live. I have enlightened him.” He said smugly. “Because, in all honesty Detective, would you have enough to make her walk way free of charge tomorrow?”

Chloe looked at the files on the table and shook her head.

“And don’t worry partner, he has know idea you are even involved.”Lucifer said shrugging and walked to the table. He grabbed some of the pages in the folders. One of the sheets had her mugshots he grabbed it roughly and pulled at the photo.

Chloe didn’t move and watched his reaction, hands crossed in front of her chest. He touched the corners of the photo first, to straighten them. And then he just stared. His thumb caressing the side of the mug-shot. The man’s expression was unreadable. His brows were furrowed in thought, some times they’d go up as if something crossed his mind and then go back. The smug grin that Chloe was almost sure was glued to his face had been erased and now it turned into a grimace. This was not Lucifer. She cleared her throat and he turned to her, subtly place the mugshot on his blazer, his face going back to normal.

“So…Tell me all about it.”

Chloe groaned, but nodded and sat down on the couch.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is unbeta'ed, and my native tongue is not english, which means my grammar could suck. If anyone is interested in beta'ing or if you have any suggestions message me!

It was four in the afternoon when the woman walked out of the precinct. Her hair was a mess and everything she was wearing was too big for her. The cargo jacket she was wearing had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

Chloe pushed herself away from the car door she was leaning, and walked to the girl. She was putting on her watch when the detective got to her.

“Ofelia Castillo?” Chloe asked and the woman looked at her, her green eyes wild, looking at Chloe and then around them.

“Yeah?”

“I’m Detective Decker.” She offered the black haired woman her hand, which she took slowly. “I’m the new detective assigned to your case.”

Ofelia nodded and kept looking at the Detective with weary eyes. The last detective on the case had been a moron and honestly Ofelia wasn’t much trusty with the authorities.

“I read your files last night.” Chloe said trying to make Ofelia show any emotion.

“Must have been quite a night.” Ofelia said.

“Yeah, it was enlightening.” The women stood silent for a couple of seconds.

“You know who paid bail?” Ofelia asked softly and Chloe nodded. “Great.” Never had a word been said with more sarcasm.

“You don’t seem to be very happy to be out.”

Ofelia shrugged, at that moment she really didn’t know what she was. Happy to be somewhat free of the jail, sad about the fire, angered that she knew it was coming.

“How ‘bout a cup of coffee?” Chloe said and Ofelia looked up at her, one eyebrow raised. “I need to talk to you about the case and I remember your reaction last time inside the station wasn’t the best.”

“Well, the guy wasn’t exactly helping.”

“Yeah...” Chloe scoffs. “He can be a bit of a douche sometimes.”

“I’m glad to hear it’s just part-time.”

Chloe looked at Ofelia and saw the girl give her a soft, small smile. There was something about the girl that Chloe couldn’t understand. It must have been her eyes. The fierce forest green contrasted with her stance. While her body language read completely lost, scared and confused, her eyes were fierce, like she was ready to fight or flight, but there wasn’t a hint of fright in them.

“So a cup of coffee? There a corner shop over there if you want to.” Chloe said and Ofelia nodded.

\---

The women sat in a table next to the window, both drinking a cup filled to the brink with coffee, they talked for hours it seemed. Ofelia answering any questions the Detective had honestly.

“But the jacket Dan said was incriminating...you don’t even have it?” Chloe asked incredulously.

“Nope. He accused me of throwing it out.” Ofelia shrugged. “I move around a lot. Sometimes I leave shit behind. I’m sure that wasn’t a one of a kind kinda of jacket. He even said they had found it. But then backtracked and said I had just discarded it.”

“Unbelievable.” Chloe jotted something down on her notebook.

“Look...I know this is going to sound crazy, but then again my medical files kinda confirm that so, not that big of a leap. Bad things happen when I’m around.” Chloe raised her eyebrows in question. “Ever since I can remember, if I stay to much time somewhere, something will happen and bodies will pile up. Even after the wards. Car crashing into buildings, fires, floods, buildings falling down. Things just...happen. Like I’m cursed or something.”

“Ain’t we all, love?”

A British voice came from behind Chloe and the detective jumped. She looked up to see Lucifer standing behind her, leaning into her chair. She was about to stand up and give him a piece of her mind when his hand moved from the back of her chair to her shoulder and she was pushed down. The detective looked at woman in front of her and saw was getting ready to leave, her gaze shifting between the man and the police officer.

Chloe beat herself internally for wanting to actually see the woman’s reaction to him. But first she had to make her not run out the door.

“Ofelia, this is Lucifer Morningstar. He’s a civilian consultant to the LAPD.” The cop said quickly and her companion seemed to relax a bit.

Chloe looked up at the man and he was looking intently at Ofelia, like he wanted to do something to her, but wasn’t sure what. He was tense, which in itself was completely off.

“Lucifer?” Ofelia asked, and Lucifer expression changed, from smug to eager and even, he had to admit, a little hopeful. “Really?” He nodded and took a step forward, stopping his limbs from actually reaching for her. “Like the Devil?”

He wasn’t accustomed to the feeling of defeat. Not at this extent, not in this world. It felt like someone had taken the floor and pushed it out of his feet. His shoulders slumped and his face fell, if only for a second. And then he was back.

“The one and only.” He said, pulling a chair towards their table and sitting down.

“What are you doing here?” Chloe asked with clenched teeth, trying not to scare Ofelia away.

“Well, I’m your partner and I heard you were talking with Ofelia and decided to come by.” He said charmingly looking at Chloe and then went back to Ofelia. “And you my dear, whenever you are ready the car is outside.”

“Excuse me?” Chloe asked as if she had been stung by a bee. She glanced over the woman and back to Lucifer.Ofelia face was pure confusion as she glanced up at Lucifer as well.

“She needed an address and I happen to have a big house.” He said to Chloe and then turned to Ofelia who now looked very unease. He frown for a second but then turned on the charm. “Don’t worry, darling, I’m a trustworthy kinda of guy...Just ask the detective.”

Ofelia turned to Chloe who groaned, she fell silent and Lucifer rolled his eyes and groaned.

“Let’s see the facts, shall we? Without an address, the whole bailing issue wouldn’t have gone through. What would the document say? The corner of misplaced and nowhere? She’s can’t leave the state and she has to stay somewhere where the police can reach her...This is practical...”

“And what in the world make you think I’ll go anywhere with you?” Ofelia finally talked and Lucifer knew that tone, just like he knew every tone her voice could take.

“It’s either that or the jail cell.” He said in a serious tone.

“I’m already used to those.” Ofelia said bitterly.

Chloe was left with being quiet and seeing how things turned out. Lucifer was partially right. She needed an address so that she could be reached during the investigation. But that didn't necessarily meant it had to be someone else’s house, a motel would have suffice. The detective hated herself for letting her curiosity get the best of her.

“My apartment is a five star hotel, without the expenses.” He countered and she rolled her eyes.

“You’re a complete stranger.” 

Chloe looked at Lucifer, her eyes wide as she distinctively heard a small whining sound coming from Lucifer.

“I have a jacuzzi.” Chloe rolled her eyes.

“I still have enough money to get a motel room, thank you.” Ofelia said getting up from the chair and Chloe did the same.

“I need to know where you are staying.” The detective said. “I can’t let you leave without knowing where I can get in touch with you.”

Ofelia clenched her fists, started to look around the coffee house, her jaw set and her green eyes on fire. Chloe walked up to the woman and saw her breathing hard.

“Look...” Chloe groaned, surprised she was going to actual vouch for Lucifer. “I know this is a stretch...” Ofelia looked at her with a ‘no-kidding’ look. “But I actually...trust...this guy. He’s...special...but overall, for the most part, for about 5 hours a day...But! He’s not gonna hurt you. I know you don’t know me from jack, and that the police up until now has been nothing but shitty to you, but I’ve got a gut feeling I can help you. But you gotta help me...”

Ofelia looked at the blonde woman. Ofelia wanted to trust her. For the time they had talked, Chloe had been truly professional, kind and the opposite of the other ass. She had in factread her files, and even gotten as far as talking with a therapist about it.

She looked at the man sitting on the chair casually, sipping from Chloe’s coffee cup and then making a disgusted face. Well dressed, three piece suit, trimmed stubble. When he felt eyes on him he waved, a big devilish smile on his face.

“He’s the one that payed your bail.” Chloe said softly and Ofelia took a deep breath.

“Fine...”

“Great!” The british man said jumping from the chair. "Then are you ready? You're ready correct? 'Cause I'm ready!"

He stood near both women and looked in between them. He clapped his hands together like a kid that had gotten his way.

“He’s about 3 hours in right?” Ofelia asked and Chloe gave her a humourless snicker.

“Yeah just about...”

Once Ofelia was inside the convertible car, Chloe pushed Lucifer aside.

“Whatever your nature is telling you to do...don’t.” Chloe said. “She’s been through enough to last her three lifetimes.”

“She’s been though enough in those three lifetime’s actually.” Lucifer said and Chloe’s eyebrows raised up in confusion.

“I’m curious about something though... Well I’m curious about a lot, but you gave me your word and I’m gonna respect that...but you gotta give me this...” She looked at the man standing in front of her and took a deep breathe. “Why isn’t she a mindless drooling lust-filled creature when she’s around you.”

Lucifer looked back at the woman inside his car. She had Chloe’s card on one hand and her stone age phone on the other.

“Self-preservation.” He said simply.

He walked away, leaving the detective more confused than she was before. She groaned and went back to the police station, ready for another round of collecting and examining evidence for this case.

\--

The elevator ride to the penthouse was nothing but uncomfortable. Ofelia kept staring at the metal walls that surrounded her while Lucifer would steal glances at her. The car ride had been silent and equally uncomfortable.

Ofelia didn’t know what to tell him and he wanted to tell her more than he should.

Lucifer took a good look at her. She was holding her oversized jacket on her hands, so he tries as subtly as he could to check her out.

She wasn’t as skinny as she used to be. The fat was mostly located around her hips, which gave a more curvaceous body then what he was used to in his conquests. Times had been different before and he was assuming that since she had been in the city she really hadn’t had the money to exactly watch what she ate. He chest was also fuller, but he tried not to linger there. He didn’t mind any of this changes, he actually liked this look on her, made her much more appealing somehow.

What surprised him most was the hair. She always kept it long, but this time it was short, to her shoulders. Those were the biggest changes in her overall. Her green eyes stayed the same, those were everlasting.

The elevator pinged and the doors opened. The lights turned on automatically, even though it was still bright outside.

She walked inside the apartment and gasped at the sheer size if it. It wasn't just the amount of space but the height of the house that impressed her. He said it was like a five star hotel but this, this was a mansion.

Lucifer trailed carefully behind her, used to the amazement people had to his house. To him it was just some walls with pretty things but to them, the humans, it was a sign of opulence. Some girls joked that he might be overcompensating for something, and he laughed it off and then prove them wrong.

Ofelia was standing near the kitchen counter looking around. The kitchen wasn’t really a kitchen, Ofelia noted, the stove looked like it had never been used and there was a very expensive looking refrigerator that match the very expensive looking microwave and the wall was lined up with liquor bottles. That wasn’t a kitchen, it was a private bar that had a stove in it.

“So your diet consists of drinking copious amounts of liquor and eating microwave dinners.” She stated looking at the set up and he gave her a humorous grin and a shrug.

“Lux has a dining area.” He simply explained while leaning against the counter.

“Lux?”

“My bar. How long have you been in Los Angeles exactly?” His tone was nonchalant, but at first he sounded offended she didn’t know Lux.

“Two months.” She replied walking around to the living space, touching the leather couches in awe.

“And you never heard of Lux?” He crossed his arms on his chest, following her movements with his eyes. She shook her head and turned to him.

“In case you haven't caught on yet, I’m not on vacation here.”

That brought a questioning frown to his face.

What was she doing here? He knew what she was doing here, she was running from her curse, he had gotten that much from the conversation he had heard at the coffee house. But what was she doing here? In front of him. He looked at the heavens and groaned.

“If this is one of your tricks….”

“What?” She turned to him, hearing him mumbling something.

“Nothing dear. Shall I give you the grand tour?”

He walked over to her and placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her through the house.

The small touch had been enough to bring him memories from another times, but he didn't, and couldn't, act on those. He had to keep reminding himself she didn't know who he was...yet.

When they reach the guest suite Ofelia was in state of shock after seeing the rooms. The one room that had almost gave her a heart attack was the main bathroom. It was gigantic, she could have a small country live in it. Hell, she wouldn’t mind living in it.

His room had been a brief open and closing of doors, in and out thing. Not that she was really interested in that, it was his private area and she would be staying clear of it. To end the tour he showed where she’d staying.

The room was almost as big as his was but not as imposing. The walls were a dark purple, matching the purple of the sheets in the four post bed. The closet was big enough for her to sleep in and the ensuite bathroom was just as impressive at the main bathroom.

She had just peeked at it and leaned against the wall, overwhelmed. Ofelia never knew a house could have this sort of effect on her. It wasn’t jealousy or envy that he had and she hadn’t. It was just this mind-stunning feeling of being surrounded by nice things, of having enough space for her that she could lay down on the floor and her feet and head wouldn’t reach the walls, of having a ceiling so high it looked as distant as the moon.

“I take it you like it.” He said, looking at her state. Her eyes had become brighter, she had touched the surfaces of the walls and the counters, she had whined when she saw the bathroom. She had radiated giddiness when he lit the stained glass wall that had led to his bedroom.

And he had drunk all that like he was a man in the desert, dying of thirst. He was used to these feelings exchanged between them, he hadn’t felt like this in a while, but now it was opening like a flood gate. The exhilaratingfeeling of her emotions crashing into him, like a wave at a rock.

“Why?” she simply asked after a while, frowning, her voice filled with confusion.

He was close to blurting the whole story right then and there but he swallowed it.

“You remind me of someone I used to know.” he said sitting on the foot of the bed, facing her.

“We’ve barely exchanged ten words. How can I remind you of anyone?”

“You look like her.” He said, he left the part that it was because she was her.

“Her….right…” she started to walk around the room. “So what do you want in return for all of this?”

“Nothing. I mean look at you and look around. You have nothing I need. You have nothing, period.”

Ofelia frowned and shook her head, offended by his words. She didn’t need this. She can get by on her own.

She was about to walk out the bedroom door when he caught her arm.

“I wasn’t being mean. If I wanted to be mean I would have, but that was just the truth.” he let go of her arm and was glad when she didn’t move. “You have nothing economically valuable to offer me.” he bit his tongue about her other valuable bits, he wasn’t trying to scare her off. “I have everything I could possibly need.”

“So you’re doing this out of the kindness of your own heart…” she mocked him and he frowned.

“No.” he said, his face becoming frightfully serious. “I have a very specific reason to be doing this, a reason you won't know until I want to tell you. It’s not a dangerous reason or anything that would put you in danger. It’s not kindness, not for me at least. All you need to know are these five things: I won't hurt you in anyway, shape or form; I won't ask you to do or give anything, you don't want to do or give; I won't lie to you and will help you whether you want it, or not.”

Ofelia stood, not knowing how to respond to that. She didn't feel threatened by him at all, which was strange since they had met some hours ago. But no one gives something like this without wanting something in return. She took a step back and heard him groan.

“Ofelia?! Look at me…” she turned and he took a deep breath, beating himself over what he was about to do. “What do you desire most?”

Lucifer cringed when he saw her eyes dull and her face drop. His power had taken over.

“I don't want to run anymore. I don't want people to die because of me. I want to know why this happens…” she blinked and the effects were gone, she didn't seem surprised she told him all that, she just seemed sad.

“Well, my darling...you won't have to run anywhere as long as you let me help you.”

She gave him the tiniest nods and he had to contain himself from jumping up and down with glee.

He looked at his watch. Eight o'clock. Lux should be opening for dinner right. He thought about inviting the woman down for dinner and drinks but decided otherwise.

Maze’s reaction would be unexpected and he wanted to contain that situation as much as he could. Besides after three nights in jail the girl could use a shower.

“Now that that's settled, I'm afraid I have to leave you for a while. You know where everything is. There are towels in the bathroom and the wifi password is “333x2”. I'll send someone over to bring you some food...or you can go out and eat something horrible and void of nutrients...or you can order a pizza. I don't think the refrigerator has anything but strawberries and whipped cream. Oh and I usually bring company from the club. No worries though, my walls are soundproof. ” He turned to her once he reached the elevator door, waiting as she looked at him, slightly confused and slightly amused.

“I got the bathing nudge, don't worry I know I smell; my phone’s wifi is shit, you can send some food, and no worries, I sleep like the dead.” she said and he turned to elevator door, only to turn around again.

“I forgot to ask, do you have any clothes on you?” she shook her head, he shuddered and walked over his bedroom. He came out with a white shirt in his hands, a pink bra and matching panties. He handed them over to her and she raised an eyebrow.

“They like to leave me souvenirs.” he shrugged nonchalantly and made his way once more to the elevator. “Don't worry, they’re clean. My cleaning lady is very thorough. Tootles.”

The metal doors opened and he stepped inside waving happily at her, she gave him an embarrassed wave.

When he was gone, she took a deep breath.

Looking around the house once more, she thought this could be the most unbelievable set up she could ever imagined. This was going to come and bite her in the ass, at some point, she was sure of it.

Another deep breath and she made her way to the bathroom and sighed happily as she looked at the bathtub. If she wasn’t being accused of burning at least 5 people alive and  waiting for trial on that, she would have been dancing around this apartment. But as it was, her mind kept wondering what will happen to her if she was somehow convicted of murdering someone. She sat on the edge of the bathtub, trying to foresee every possible outcome for this story.

In the end she realised she was innocent and powerless to do anything at that point. Let the detective to her job, she seemed very competent at it.

Ofelia placed the clothing items on the bathroom counter. The bra was hideous, something out of a sex shop window, but the panties looked comfortable enough. She grabbed the button up shirt and unfolded the garment. It was soft and smelled like it had been washed beforehand. She looked at the label on the neck with curiosity

She raised her eyebrows and laughed out loud. One of those laughs that carried all the worries and stresses and made her shed tears she didn't know were of laughing or of worry. One of those laughs that only someone who had to live must of her live with next to nothing could have after reading that tag.

“God damn Giorgio Armani!” She said walking to the bathtub.


	4. Chapter 4

It was 2:30 am and Lucifer was seated comfortably in his piano stroking its keys. The two women that sat by his side, sighed at the melody and at the player. He kept whispering sweet nothings in their ears, just for show. He already knew how this was going to end.

He saw his phone buzz on top of the piano, as one of the women kissed his neck. He turned his head to the woman and completely, until buzzed again. And again.

“Give me a second, love.” He said sweetly and grabbed his phone gingerly.

Several warnings were displayed on the screen, he frowned deeper. 

_[Security breach: Balcony Door]_

_[Refrigerator Inventory Updated: Please restock Sembikiya Queen Strawberries]_

_[Radio On...Radio Playing...Radio Off]_

Lucifer was debating whether to check it or just leave it. He knew he had company in the penthouse, but his security didn’t. Groaning he excused himself from the ladies, promising he'd be right back.

The prince touched the security app on his phone and then chose the option for the security cameras. He browsed the list until he saw the balcony highlighted. He touched it and an image appeared on the screen.

Lucifer saw a figure sitting cross legged on one of the wooden lounge chairs, with the strawberry container next to her. He grinned. Little mouse had a thing for sweets. He touched the fridge app and ordered more strawberries. 

“What's so funny?” he heard Maze ask behind him.

“The balcony window is open. The security app is going crazy over it.” he answered, half truthfully, turning fully to his companion.

“You got a burglar in the penthouse?” Lucifer shook his head.

“It doesn’t look like it.” he said and put his mobile on his pant’s pocket. “I’m going to check it.”

“You want me to go? Your company seems far more interesting that an open balcony window…” Maze purred into his ear, her hands going around his neck.

“It’s tempting, but...” Lucifer smiled wickedly and turned to the woman. “Never underestimate the power of anticipation, dear. I’m sure you can keep them entertained for a while.”

Maze looked at the females on the piano and them back at Lucifer. 

“Only if you let me take one of them home...”

Lucifer agreed and watched Maze work her magic on the girls. Before walking away he looked at the women. How gorgeous could women be. His night going to be heavenly. He was about to forget going back to the apartment when his phone buzzed again.

_[Security Breach: Initiating Police Contact]_

Lucifer cursed and pressed the button to disable the police contact option. He walked out of the club into his convertible and drove to the penthouse. His mind shifted from the women in his bar, to the woman in his home.

He was dealing with this rather well, he thought. The history kept repeating itself, and sadly he already knew the outcome. Although this time he was going to try and change it. Mainly to show his Father the middle finger, since he was the one that made them cross paths. 

Had he been in his realm, he’d know when she would reappear and take some vacations from Hell. It would piss his Father royally and Lucifer killed two birds with one stone. It’s not like he was winning any awards for son of the year. 

But this time, he had no knowledge of her existence because he wasn’t at his post. His Father knew this could be a hint for him to go back to where he belonged. He had powers in Hell that surpassed those he had on Earth.

Lucifer wasn’t gonna give in just because she was here. This whole thing would turn to bite his Father in the his biblical ass. He’s not going anywhere, especially now.

“You know, it doesn’t matter You smacked her in the middle of my path. I'm not going back…” he said to Him. “This is going to backfire and You should have known that.”

He arrived at the penthouse and walked to the keyboard on the wall, punching the security code to completely disable the whole set-up. 

At some point Maze had made this penthouse complete smart, technology wise. Even the toilet could be flushed from his mobile. It was effective since he spent most of days and nights out of the house and the amount of gadgetry impressed the ladies even more. Not that they much incentive to bed him, but it was nice.

Lucifer looked at the balcony and saw the sliding door ajar. The floor to ceiling windows were covered by the burgundy drapes but he could see the silhouette sitting of the lounge chair. Walking toward the door silently, he observed her with care. 

Ofelia was eating a strawberry, nibbling on the fruit and looking out to the city lights, dressed in his shirt and barefoot. Peaceful, that's what she looked like, but he could almost hear the restlessness in her mind.

“What are you doing up so late?” he looked at his wristwatch. 3am, the devil’s hour. He laughed at the coincidence.

“Holy mother of God!” she shouted, jumping and grabbing her chest. He tilted his head and walked to the bench next to her.

“You're confused. Jesus is the one with the mother. God didn’t have any. Which explain a lot if you think about it.”

Ofelia looked at him entertained. The way he talked, his tone, that little tilt with head, it amused her. Like he was actually putting any thought into the insanity coming out of his mouth.

He was still dressed like he had left and it seemed too early for him to be at home, although the smell of smoke and alcohol gave her a hint he had been at Lux.

“I thought you were coming back accompanied.” she said offering him the plastic container with the strawberries.

Lucifer looked down at the fruit and snickered, grabbing one and taking a bite.

“Well, my dear, you seem to have triggered every alarm I have. Even the refrigerator complained.” He said, while gingerly chewing on the berry.

“Your refrigerator has an alarm?” 

“It's more of an inventory check. It knows what's inside and it knows when it's missing. Don't ask me how.” he simply said taking another bite. “These are some good strawberries. Well worth the 200 dollars…” 

Ofelia’s coughing interrupted his sentenced. He was worried for a bit until he understood she was actually just choking on a strawberry. 

“Look up dear…” he said, patting her back lightly. She coughed once more and stopped, breathing hard. Her face matched the colour of the strawberry and her eyes were wide open in surprise.

“Jesus...200 bucks for 12 strawberries?” she said and he shrugged.

“Plus shipping…and Jesus had nothing to do with it.”

“Of course…” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Lucifers phone buzzed in his pocket and he jumped up to get it. He placed it to his ear, munching on another strawberry.

“Lucifer Morningstar speaking…” he tilted his head to the side. “Hold on to them Maze, I know you can do it. I'll be there in a jiffy.”

He hung up the call and turned to Ofelia, who had turned back to look at the lights. She always like pretty lights.

“It seems I must be off. Work calls.” he said looking down at the woman, and she shrugged and nodded.

He leaned down to kiss the top of her head, an habit he had acquired a long time ago, but stopped when he realised what he was doing. Instead he reached for another strawberry.

“There's a bottle of Moet if you want to try it.” he said walking out of the balcony, hands on his pockets.

\---

Ofelia woke up to someone knocking on her door. Incessantly knocking. She opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling, reminding herself of where she was and what was going on with her life. Grabbing her phone she saw a text message from Detective Chloe.

_[Good morning, Miss Castillo. It’s important that you come down to the station for another formal interrogatory. If you do not have a lawyer yet, one will be assigned to you. Thank you. Detective Chloe Decker]_

The girl sprung from the bed and walked to the door. Lucifer had to stop mid knock when she opened it.

“I’m up! Stop banging on the door!”

Ofelia bit her lips as her new roommate stood in front of her, in his pyjama bottoms. In just his pyjama bottoms. She was momentarily stunned by the man’s torso, wanting to reach. Touch it. And she was going to, if he hadn’t swatted her hand away, making her wake up from her trance. Her face became a very nice shade of red.

“Nothing of that! We need to be at the station!” He said, his serious tone contrasting with his garments. 

“We?”

“I’m an LAPD civilian consultant! My partner is Chloe and you are her case!” He said walking around the apartment, Ofelia trailing behind him like a duckling, until he stopped and she bumped into his back.

Lucifer felt like an electric bolt passed through his body, the hairs on his neck and arms standing up. He felt his ears become really hot and he didn’t need a mirror to know his eyes were glowing a very bright red. He took several deep breathes until he was cool and collected.

“Sorry...” She said and took a step back, massaging her nose.

“It’s alright.” He turned back and tilted his head looking at her. “We need to get you dressed. Come with me.”

They walked to his bedroom door and he held it open for her. The room was a mess, Ofelia noted, the bed was completely turned over, no sheet left tucked. There were several clothing items, including undergarments, laid on the floor, some of them female. His, very expensive looking , suit was discarded on the corner. She felt sorry of the cleaning lady.

“Sorry about the mess.” He apologised when he saw her looking around the room and side-stepping a pair of panties. Ofelia looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. Both of them could tell he wasn’t.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t lie to me.” 

“You’re right...I’m not sorry for the mess. I’m sorry you had to actually see the mess. It’s embarrassing really, I should’ve learn how to clean after myself. Let’s blame my daddy issues on that.” He shrugged and walked past by her to his closet. 

She mouthed a silent okay and he mention the inside of the closet with his head.

As with everything in this house, the accommodation was immense. The suit and shirts were racked to the sides of the bright room; his shoes were neatly tucked on a shelf and he had an array of ties clipped into a board, above a small drawer armoire. Ofelia felt like she had stepped into a very expensive clothing store, and once again the feeling of being surrounded by elegant things overwhelmed her.

“It’s just clothes, my dear. Take a breath.” He said, walking past her and towards the end of the room, where a wardrobe stood against a wall.

Ofelia took a deep breath, but couldn’t help touching one of the blazers in the rack.

“You can choose what you from here.” he said opening the wardrobe door. “Although I'm not really sure what you will find in there.”

“What do you do to these women, that makes them just get out running, without their clothes?” She asked walking towards the furniture piece when she became aware that the dresser was filled with women’s clothes.

“Most of them leave wearing something. Maybe not the entire outfit, but they don't just leave naked...usually.”

“Usually?” she raised an eyebrow and he just shrugged.

“I'm not their father, or their mother, or even their friend. I’m their entertainment, just as they are mine. If they want to, and they usually do, we have sex. Casual and consented.” he said walking back to his bedroom, grabbing a shirt, a vest and a suit jacket on the way. “Once they say it's done, it’s done and they leave.” He grabbed some socks from a drawer and a pair of shoes. “How and when it's their decision. As well as what they wear when they leave.”

Ofelia was looking at the, now empty door of the walk-in closet. She jumped when she saw his pyjama pants fly across the room and turned around to the wardrobe. 

She scavenged and after reviewing the contents of the cabinet she divided the outfits inside in 3 categories: short, laced and transparent. It took her a while to find a pair of pants that both fit her and were appropriate for a visit to the police station. 

“Do you have any t-shirts?” she shouted, when the search left with choosing between a cropped tank top that would let everyone seethe colour of her bra or a red top that had a very plunging neckline.

“You’re joking right?” he said, poking his head inside the closet. “I don't have any of those…”

“Well, these are my option...” She showed him both tops. “Which one do you think Detective Decker would appreciate more?”

“Oh!” It dawned on him what the problem was. “No problem you can wear one my shirts…” he said, grabbing a random shirt from the hanger and throwing it at her.

“Maybe this one is Armani too.” She mumbled, more to herself than him.

“I believe that one is D&G…” he said turning his back to her.

She rolled her eyes at him. 

When she had the pieces she needed to make herself look presentable she walked towards the bathroom, making sure Lucifer was now himself presentable. She saw him on the balcony, phone to his ear, pacing up and down the deck. When she was dressed and ready to go she walked out of the bathroom to get her cellphone.

Lucifer heard the girl open and closing doors as she walked to the guest bedroom, and he groaned. Or growled. Sometime it was difficult to differentiate the two. Those pants were downright sinful on her and paired with his shirt, it made him want to jump her right there. He counted to ten, something Maze had taught him, and instead walked to the bar, grabbed a bottle of whisky from the shelf and poured a generous amount into a glass, which he drunk in one big gulp.

“Get it together!” he told himself, starting to fill another glass.

“Oh liquid breakfast. How fancy.” Ofelia said as he downed the second glass.

“I'm on a solid-food free diet.” he said smirking at the girl. “Shall we?”

\---

The ride to the precinct was uneventful. 

Well, as uneventful as it would get with Lucifer of the wheel. The amount of stop signs and red lights they had breezed on through had been unaccountable, Ofelia herself had lost count after the 5th one and closed her eyes.

“Please tell you are not praying.” He said as he passed another stop sign.

“Nope. I just don't like staring death in the face.” she said, grabbing the handle on the car 

“My driving skill are excellent.” he said offended. “Nobody ever died while I drove. Not that many people would let me drive, though. It's usually the other one that does it…”

“What?” her face contorted in confusion.

“The other fellow...the messiah? He's the one that everybody trusts to drive them to safety…” 

“Hum...Lucifer?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“I've been in and out of psych wards all my live, and let me tell you, the thing that come out of your mouth are worrisome.”

“What? It’s the truth!” He said and she shook her head, as if trying not to hear him. “There’s a song about it!” 

Ofelia looked at him as another red light passed by them, her eyebrows raised to her hairline. She truly didn't know what to make of him. 

He was good-looking that's a given, and charming and Ofelia had no trouble believing he could get it on every night. But he seemed to have a bit of crazy inside him. The way he talked, sometimes very seriously, almost scornful at one point and at the next he’d be joyous and mocking, filled with glee. And he talked a thousand miles per minute, which she found funny. The way he said things, when he was being charming, made her want to burst out laughing. 

“We’re here.” he sang, getting out of the car.

They walked inside the precinct and waited near the interrogation rooms. Ofelia kept biting the skin around her nails. Lucifer grabbed her hand and pulled it away from her mouth and they both stood silently on the corridor.

After a few minutes of waiting Lucifer grinned and looked at someone that was arriving from behind her. 

“Christian! So glad to see you again.” 

Ofelia turned around and saw a man, dressed as impeccably and Lucifer, standing next to them. He was as tall as her companion, brown hair and blue eyes. His suit was dark, his tie a very light grey. He had a mischievous grin on his face. But not a mischievous good, like Lucifer sometimes had on his lips. It was a devilish grin, like a wolf about to eat little children.

“Ofelia this is Christian. Your lawyer.”

“My what?”

Ofelia eyes opened and her her mouth mimicked the movement. This guy does not look like a low level lawyer, and by the way they both had greeted each other, he wasn’t just someone Lucifer had picked off the streets.

“Miss Castillo. A pleasure.” he said shaking her hand. “I’ve read your case and it's not as gruesome as you might think. All they have is a couple of refutable evidence. Easily put down in court.”

The woman was still dumbfounded looking intently at the man. She opened her mouth to say something to Lucifer, but closed it again, still dumbfounded by all of this.

Her stupor was broken by the appearance of the detective.

“Good morning. Shall we?” The blonde woman said, with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank for the kudos! It's keeps me interested in keeping the chapter's coming...  
> Thank you!


	5. Chapter 5

Everyone nodded and followed Detective Chloe into the room. And she let everyone in, except Lucifer. As he was stepping inside, she placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him out.

“You're not coming in. This is not the place for a consultant.” she said.

“Of course it is! I can consult you on your best course of action to talk with the suspect.” 

“Who? The woman that you have as a guest in your house? The one that the mere sight of in handcuffs made your move a tectonic plaque?” she placed her hands on her hips and puffed her chest out. “The reason I’m even letting you in on every detail of this investigation, is the mere fact that you will must likely do something very illegal and very stupid to help her.” She pointed to the chair outside the room. “So sit down, shut up and let me do my job for once!”

Chloe turned and slammed the door on his face. She cleared her throat as the two people inside the room stared at her. Ofelia had an impressed look on her face, nodding slowly at her. The lawyer did not nod nor look impressed.

“And after that sad show off, can we begin?” Christian said sitting down next to Ofelia.

Chloe nodded and sat down too, placing her files on the table in front of her.

“So I hear your case against my client is weak, if not pitiful. Are you expecting it to stick in court?” Christian began and Chloe frowned at his tone.

“We have evidence that places Ofelia at the crime scene.” She was about to grab something from her folder when Christian, pulled out 4 photos from inside his own.

“Do you know who these are Detective?”

Chloe didn't, but shut up and looked at the lawyer waiting for an explanation. Ofelia knew them. They were residents from the halfway house.

“Miss Phillips, Missus Anderson, Miss Dunham and Miss Kinsey.” He said pointing at each photo. “The are the women that died in the fire. Maybe you should take a look at your updated files. There's a coroner's report in there somewhere.”

Chloe had the coroner's report and she had read it before coming inside the room, but she didn't have these photos. Three of them were mugshots and one of them was an hospital photo,taken after someone came in looking like they just left a boxing match.

“Now two of these ladies, were drug addicts. Another one had had recently left an abusive relation and the other one is a runway with a gang related past.” Once again he pointed at every photo. “I don't want to make your job easier detective, but it seems to me, that any of these women might have someone in their lives more than willing to end it.”

Chloe hadn't had time to investigate any of these women yet. She was only privy to this information hours ago. She recomposed herself from the information burst and turned to the lawyer. Grabbing to what she had. This was now a battle of wits with the lawyer.

“We will be looking into them. But we have photos of someone who we suspect is Miss Castillo entering and leaving the premises.” 

Chloe showed the lawyer the grainy traffic photo. Christian looked at her. Aside from the blurriness, it was dark and the person had a hood on.

“First, this person in the picture could be anyone. Second, if this is really all you have against my client you really are grasping at straws.” Christian leaned back into the metal chair as Chloe took another photo from her folder.

This time it was photo Ofelia recognised right way. It had been taken a long time ago. She had been sitting outside a tattoo parlour she had worked in New York. She had been a sort of receptionist there, scheduling appointments, changing the tables, etc. On the photo it was her and three other people. The owner of the shop, his wife and one of the tattoo artists. They were all smiling and seemed to be having fun. It had been taken a week before the accident. Ofelia looked down at her hands, remembering what had happened.

Chloe pointed at what she had been wearing. It looked like the same jacket that the suspect was wearing on the grainy photo.

“Oh. I get it.” Christian said, sarcasm pouring out of his mouth. “She’s the suspect because someone has the same jacket as her! I’m going to start buying one of a kind suits.”

“It will be enough to get a judge to actually consider the possibility.” Chloe said. “You add that to her mental history and you got a case of girl gone psycho on our hands. Don’t even need a motive.”

And it was at that moment Chloe snapped out of her argument with the scumbag in front of her and looked at the woman, she had previously talked as a friendly officer. At some point during this, Chloe had completely forgot that she was there, so entranced at making the lawyer look bad, she didn’t even cared about the words the left her mouth.

The detective looked at the suspect and saw her face harden. Her behaviour was now parallel with Dan’s. That lawyer of hers was getting on the blonde woman’s last nerves and she had just presented the fact as they were. 

She was felling sorry for the woman, she truly was and she truly wanted to help her and proof she’s innocent. But what if she wasn’t. The only thing still making Chloe believe in the woman was her gut. Her sixth sense, that had betrayed her so many times, but that she still trusted so much, was screaming at her to keep digging. 

On the opposite side of the table Ofelia’s face was closed off. She had trusted that this woman was going to conduct this case with professionalism and competency. But apparently not. She felt angry and disappointed by her naivety. 

“Oh Detective, please.” Christian said, his voice as cold as ice. “With her history, I can make look as much as a victim as the one’s that died! It won’t even matter if she is guilty...”

Ofelia straightened up and looked at the lawyer with anger and disgust. He didn’t care about her innocence. Neither did Decker. Ofelia shook her head as both the lawyer and the cop started another round of arguments.

“Enough!” Ofelia shouted, and both of them shut up, surprised with the outburst. She looked at the Detective. “What do I need to do to make me not a suspect anymore?”

“Miss Castillo, please let me--“ Christian started but was immediately shut down by Ofelia’s glare.

“Shut up! The only reason you’re here is because of the amount of money Lucifer is putting on your pockets, and I imagine it’s not little. You don’t give a shit whether I’m innocent or not. You care about your bank account, so if you want to keep it filled to the brink, you gonna shut up until I ask you something!”

Christian’s face whitened, but he complied.

“Detective. You have all this evidence against me, against something I did not do! And I understand that you are doing your job, but I know I did not burned these people. So, I’m asking either of you to tell me, what I need to do to make this sack of bullshit go away!’Cause up until now, everything as been just passing by me, going over my head, but now I have a question and I want answers. These women are dead and I didn’t do it...” She looked between the couple. “So, what do I have to do to show you, you’re barking at the wrong tree?”

“You need to, at the very minimum, present an alibi.” Christian said. 

“From where I was at 7pm right?” She turned to Chloe and the detective nodded. “And if I can’t give you that? Am I going to jail because I wasn’t anywhere?”

“No.” This time Chloe chirped in. “As your lawyer said, there are other leads we are going to pursue. We are still going through the crime scene.”

“Alright. Anything else?” She looked once again between the two people. 

“Well, if you can, by any miracle, produce this jacket, we can test it to see if there are any signs of you being there that night.”

Ofelia groaned, rolling her eyes. With the amount of moving she had done since New York, it would indeed be a miracle to find it.

“Alright. Are we done here?”

Ofelia got up to leave and Christian followed behind her silently. Once they were out, the woman turned to her lawyer.

“Yes. Christian, do your job and find that evidence. Forget about the other women and focus on your client. Maybe you should take a look at your updated files. There’s my report in there somewhere. You should read it sometimes.”

“I’m not a detective. It’s not my job--“ He was starting to look like a whiny kid and Ofelia was not having it.

“It’s your job if you want to get paid for it....”Ofelia looked at him with fierceness and walked away before he could even reply to that.

She passed Lucifer on the way out and he looked away from the woman he was flirting with to watch her walk out of the precinct like a bat out of hell. He stood straighter and looked around. Christian was coming his way, and Chloe was walking over to her desk.

“What just happened?” Lucifer asked, confused by the waved of rage that had washed over him when she passed by.

“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry.” Christian said, fixing his tie. “We were just discussing what the next move.” 

Lucifer nodded slowly and shook the lawyer’s hand before he left. He was debating whether to follow Ofelia or go talk to Chloe. He did want to know what had happened in that room, so he turned and walked over to Chloe.

“Detective..” He sang and she sighed taking a deep breath and looking at him. “I’m feeling a bit in the dark right, so could you enlighten me please?” 

“Your kitty showed her claws.” Chloe simply said, typing away in her computer, not even bothering to look at him.

“Uuh...I like claws...” He smirked but didn’t move, still looking for more answers for the cop. She kept typing and became impatient. “Oh, Come on Detective!!”

Chloe finally look up at him, grabbed her folder and started out the door, Lucifer followed her like a puppy and kept urging her to tell him something. Once they were out on the streets Chloe turned to look around and he mimicked.

“She just had her quota of assholes for one day.” Chloe said, her hand turning into fist with anger. 

“But I’ve been a perfect gentleman since we woke up...” He said intrigued.

“Believe it or not, you’re not one of the said assholes. It’s you lawyer...and me. But mostly your lawyer.”

Lucifer’s head tilted to side. Christian was one of the best lawyers in LA, he had made sure of it. The man had sold his soul to Lucifer. He didn’t accept it, the soul selling thing was now very well view in his family, but he had made sure that Christian would never turn down a favour from him. It confused him how someone that was extremely effective a this job could be labeled an asshole.

“But he was doing his job yes?” Lucifer asked, still confused about this.

“Yes and so was I. But there are ways to do your job...and there are ways to do your job.” 

Lucifer finally understood what she meant. It had been his own situation at some point. 

Chloe walked away from her partner and into her car, he was about to follow her but she turned.

“I’m going to investigate another possible suspects.” She opened her car and he mimicked her. “You should go get to her. If she’s even caught jaywalking, she’ll be back in a cell.”

Chloe was surprised when he didn’t even argued and instead just nodded and walked away from her car. He leaned into the window of the car and she rolled it down.

“If you need anything...text me! I’ll get the truth out of them.” Lucifer said seriously and Chloe found herself thanking him with a smile.

Lucifer took a step back and took out the phone from his pocket, as Chloe drove off.

_[Where are you?]_ He punched into the phone and waited.

_[Coffee Shop, in the corner.]_

He drove to the coffee shop and saw her sitting on the curb, drinking from a very big disposable cup. She looked up at him and he mentioned her to get in.Once inside the car, he grabbed the cup and threw it out of the car, driving from the spot and into traffic.

“That was my coffee.” She said in outraged.

“No my dear, that was Water with something they call coffee.”

“Either way, it was mine! I paid for it, it was good enough.” She spat at him. “Unlike the lawyer you paid, who’s an asshole.”

“So?” Lucifer simply asked.

“So?! He doesn’t care if I’m innocent or not!! He just cares about throwing other people into this!” He could feel her outrage like a tornado passing through him.

“Good!!” Lucifer said and Ofelia looked at him like he had grown a third head.

“Good?”

“Yes.” He was slightly aggravated. “His job is to defend you. That’s what he is being paid to do! Make sure you don’t end up in a cell. What he thinks about you is irrelevant. You can’t be naive Ofelia.”

“How can he defend my, if he thinks I’m guilty?” She asked, less angry and more annoyed.

“Because he’s the best lawyer in LA and that’s his job. He doesn’t need to think anything other than getting you off jail.”

Ofelia rolled her eyes and kept quiet. Lucifer was right. Christian’s job was to defend her, whether she was guilty or not wasn’t important to him. She groaned. 

“You can’t expect everyone to like you Ofelia.”

“I don’t.”

“And you can’t expect other people to believe in you just because you say so.”

They drove for a couple of minutes, in silence until they reached the shoreline. He parked the car, so they could look at it without leaving the car. He like to come here and he hoped Ofelia would like it too. 

“She said that, with my history I wouldn’t even need a motive to do it.” She said after a couple of minutes.

“She? The detective?” Ofelia nodded.

“And he said that with my history, he could make me look like a harmless victim in court.” She was looking at the ocean. “So, by their standard, my history either makes me a cold blooded killer or an incompetent victim. And after all this time, after everything I’ve been through, I actually think I’m both.”

“Now you’re just being downright stupid.” He said, not looking at her, just at the water. He heard her snicker.

“Chloe showed us a photo on the interrogation that I hadn’t seen in a while. I don’t know where she got it, but with the internet I guess it’d be easy to find. I was in New York. Found a job at a tattoo parlour.” She laughed humourlessly. “I was living with nothing at that point, halfway houses and odd jobs. One day, I walked by the shop and there was sign on the door. _‘Receptionist needed’_ and I walked right in. I looked like a homeless, smelt like one too, but they didn’t care. Gemma, one of the owner’s interviewed me right there and asked when could I begin, and I said ‘right now!’. I worked there for six months. Best six months of my life. I told them everything, from the wards to the voices and they just...accepted me... _”Live for the present”_ they said. Everything was going great. I had managed to finally leave the halfway home and find the tiniest of the tiniest apartments to rent. I would take the bus to work and one day it had a flat tire. I waited for 2 hours inside that bus. And those two hours were enough for some delivery truck to hit the shop. I mean it went through and through the thing. The driver died...Gemma died...Anthony died and Gus died. Just like that.” She snapped her fingers.

“And that makes you a cold blooded killer and an incompetent victim?” Lucifer asked confused.

“Yes! Because I knew something was going to happen! It always does! But I still kept hopping it didn’t and still kept people around. I knew it and I still went into that shop everyday to work. And when it happened, I couldn’t help it!”

“The curse...”

“You’re mocking?!” She looked at him in disbelief. “You’re actually mocking me...I just poured my heart out and you are mocking me.” She got out of the car and walked towards the sand.Ofelia sat down near the water, her arms wrapped around her knees.

“You’re more complicated this time around aren’t you...” He said before following her. “I’m not mocking you...If I wanted to mock you I would and you would know it. I just feel it’s completely ludicrous you keep blaming yourself for an accident you had no part of.”

“But that’s why I need them to believe I didn’t do it! I need them to believe me, because I need someone to tell me they believe me even though I don’t! And I was fine until that moment because the detective told me she did, she had a gut feeling that I was innocent...but then today...” 

Lucifer looked at her despair, and although in his head it still made no sense what she was saying, in her head she had let four people die. She wanted people to judge her as innocent, because she thought she was guilty, and she wasn’t achieving that, and that made her agitated. 

Lucifer took a deep breath and grabbed her shoulders, turning her to him and taking a step towards her. He was standing face to face with her and looking down at her teary eyes.

“Ofelia, I believe you are innocent.” He said simply, and she believed the Devil.


	6. Chapter 6

Five days had passed since the last interrogation and Ofelia was sitting at Christian’s office, where he was telling her that the closest thing he had gotten for her alibi was a confirmation that you left the lobby at 6.30pm.

“This is a good thing.” Christian told her smiling. “The only way you could have gotten to the house at 7pm would be for you to either run you drive there.”

“I didn’t do either.” She shook her head at the lawyer.

“Yes, we asked for the traffic camera and bus’ cameras.”

“You’ve been busy...” She said and he gave her a charming smile.

Ofelia had apologised of her outburst from before. She had been wrong to lash out at him, as well as unprofessional. Christian had nodded, accepting her apologies. They became respectful after that, Christian already knowing she exactly how pointy teeth could get and Ofelia because she had had a few talks with Lucifer about her issues, and in Lucifer fashion he had not strained from calling her bullshit from her naivety to her need for approval.

“It’s proof enough that you couldn’t be the one of the photo.”

Ofelia nodded and smiled, satisfied. She could now see the light at the end of the tunnel. Chloe had informed Lucifer, who in turn had informed her that they had questioned other suspects. Some had gave them had valid alibis, but two of them had none. And now, she had some proof that she couldn’t have done it either.

“And can they turn it around?” Ofelia asked and Christian shrugged.

“They can always dig something up. Like finding you’re a marathon runner.” Christian offered cheekily.

The woman laughed and tilted her head as if to say ‘who knows’. Christian kept updating Ofelia about her situation, which pretty much summed up to the confirmation of her leaving a building, and what information the detective had been giving him. At some point Ofelia’s phone buzzed.

She grabbed the phone from her cargo jacket pocket and got up, mentioning for Christian to give her a second. The lawyer nodded and returned his eyes to the papers.

“Hello?”

“Oh my god! Ofelia???” Someone answered her in a very excited and surprising tone.

“Yes? Who is this?” Ofelia asked, recognising the voice, but not being able to recognise it.

“Julie?!!! From Foam-o-Mat?”

“Oh shit! Julie! Yes!” Ofelia smiled at the phone, remembering the clerk from the laundry she usually kept her stuff. She didn’t trust the people at the halfway house.

“Oh my god! I thought you were dead! I’ve been trying to reach you since the place went boom!” The girl said and Ofelia snorted.

“How did you find me?”

“I might have snooped your bag...I thought you were dead...You have some contact lists here and I just phoned everyone!”

“It’s okay, I guess. Do you need something?”

“Besides knowing you’re alive??? What happened?”

“A lot! Look can I call you later? Or better ‘bout a coffee? Your treat?” The girl on the other line laughed but said yes to the encounter, setting a time and place.

She finished the call and turned to the lawyer, getting back to the meeting.

\---

Lucifer was waiting at the reception, chatting up a receptionist. It hadn’t taken much to make him wait for her outside, instead of following her into the room and it seemed to be because of the blonde girl who had stuttered once they arrived.

In the last couple of days the guy had been attached at her hip from 9am to 9pm, which irked her in the beginning. She had thrown an hissy fit after she had actually bumped into him about three time in five minutes.

“Detective Decker said I couldn’t leave you out of my sight!” He had said leaning against the bar on his penthouse.

“I’m sure she didn’t meant literally!” Ofelia argued.

“Well, better be safe then angry right?”

She had rolled her eyes and walked away from that conversation.

“Hey, twinsie!” She shouted at him. He held up a finger to the blonde lady and looked back at Ofelia, smiling wide. “I need to get somewhere.”

Since he was, for the time being, her babysitter, she also used him as a driver. Something she never thought he’d do without much of a fuss, but he had been very cooperative.

“Two seconds...” He turned back to the girl and smiled, giving her a card from his pocket. He walked away from the desk and walked past Ofelia, winking at her.

“Where to my dear?” Lucifer said walking to his car, opening the door to his car.

“Halfway house.”

“Really?” Lucifer looked sideways at her, his eyebrows going up.

“Do you know the Foam-o-Mat, the laundry shop?” He shook his head. “Then go the halfway house.”

“And why?”

“I’m meeting a friend.” She said smiling big.

“You look cheerful.” He said driving them through the streets of LA.”Your date with the Christian when well?”

“That was a meeting...” Ofelia said rolling her eyes. “And yes it went well. Apparently I had to be Flash to get from my last know location to the halfway house.”

“Well good for you!” Lucifer said smiling as well. “No more weird and unnecessary guilt trips.”

They arrived at the halfway house and Ofelia frowned. The house was a sight. Half burned, half destroyed. There was police tape all around it and even some police officers surrounding it. Apparently it was still a hot spot. The woman turned her back to the building and walked towards the store.

It was a 20 minutes walk that she and Lucifer made, converting amiably. Ofelia felt lighter now that it was certain she was not going to get involved in this affair.

Lucifer looked at the woman beside him and gave her a wolfish grin. For the past few days he had seen her get more and more agitated, to the point where she wouldn’t mutter a single word. She looked like a ghost coming and going from the guest bedroom to the balcony and back again. At some point he had left her in the balcony while he joined the Detective, only to come back and find her in the exact same spot he had left her. It was starting to get creepy, even for him. Then her lethargy crept onto him, and the only thing he had been capable of doing, besides following her around the house, was go to the club and play his piano, almost until closing time.

Now she was talking and moving her hands, bounce in her step and her eyes were becoming green once again. Her excitement was contagious to him.

They arrived at the laundry and Ofelia walked inside, made a beeline to the counter and dinged the bell. In the meantime, Lucifer walked around the room with his hands behind his back, seemingly entranced by the washing machines. He jumped when he heard a shriek and walked back to Ofelia to see her engulfed in a bear hug with another woman.

“I should slap you!! I thought you were dead!” The girl said pushing Ofelia away from her, still grabbing onto her shoulders. “Let’s go! My lunch hour started five minutes ago.”

Lucifer, who had walked towards the commotion, stood between to dryers, looking at both women. His companion had a small, embarrassed smile on her face, while the other had a big relieved on hers. The stranger turned him.

“Excuse me sir, we’re closing for lunch.”

“Oh! But of course!” he said a sly grin on his mouth and Ofelia rolled her eyes. He walked closer to them, hands in pockets and stood for an awkward minute gazing between the two women. “Well I’m famished! So where to? My treat.”

“Julie this is Lucifer, Lucifer this is Julie.” Ofelia added quickly before Julie could even answer.

“Oh...hi!” Julie said giving the man a handshake.

They stood there for another awkward moment with the dark skinned woman looking at Lucifer like he was made of gold and Ofelia rolling her eyes at the ordeal. She cleared her throat and Julie snapped out of it.

“Whenever you’re ready…” Ofelia said and Julie nodded.

They found a pizza place near the store and sat down on one of the corner tables. Ofelia and Julie were talking about everything and anything while Lucifer tried not to pry, while still eavesdropping. Well, it wasn't eavesdropping since he was sitting next to them but he was still straining to hear every detail of what they said.

“Hold up! So the cops thought you blew up a building?” Julie said taking a sip out of her Cola.

“Yup.”

“But you didn’t?”

“Nope.”

“I wasn't even there when it happened.”Julie started. “We closed shop earlier. Mrs. Yun is testing some new business hours. Says she wants to make it a 24h hour laundry. So she closed shop at like 4pm and them we were supposed to open at 10...but when we got there it was a mess…That's when I realised I didn’t even had your number. Then I remembered your bags and rummaged through them to try and find something that could get me in touch with you…”

“Yeah, sorry...it's been a weird couple of days...I totally forgot about my stuff.” Ofelia took a bite out of her slice.

“I can imagine...Mrs Yun wanted me to throw them out. They were taking out too much floor space, according to her.” Julie rolled her eyes. “I took them home with me. So they’re safe.”

“Thank you…” Ofelia gave her a big smile of gratitude.

“Hey, I know we don't know each other that well, but I've been where you are...were...” She peeked at Lucifer and Ofelia raised her eyebrows at the innuendo. “Girls gotta help each other right? Stick together!”

“Right…” Ofelia smirked.

They finished their meal and Julie said she had to get the keys to her apartment at the laundromat but if Ofelia was cool with it, they could go and get her bags. Ofelia nodded at the proposal and the trio walked back to the store.

“You've been way too quiet this whole time.” Ofelia told Lucifer.

“Sometimes the best thing you can do is listen.” Lucifer said hands in pockets. “Besides the ring on her finger let’s me know she has a significant other and, contrary to popular beliefs, I'm all about the sanctity of marriage.”

“Good, her girlfriend would appreciate it.”

“Oh...I thought we had a moment in the shop earlier…” Lucifer said bewildered.

“Sexuality is a spectrum my friend.” Ofelia told him and he nodded in agreement.

“Oh yes...” He gave her a mysterious grin.

They stopped at the laundromat and waited outside for Julie.

“She seems very friendly.” He commented as they waited outside.

“She is.” Ofelia nodded. “When we met she asked me if I didn't want to crash at her place. I refused. For obvious reasons.” She saw Lucifer roll his eyes. “Whether you believe in it or not, you look at that…” she pointed at the burned out house at the end of the street. “and tell me I'm wrong.”

“You're wrong.” He said hunching down his shoulders to look at her eyes.

“Get a room!” Julie joked, locking the store once again, and Lucifer took notice of Ofelia’s reddening cheeks.

They walked a bit more, and waited a bit more when Julie went up to get the bags.

“Here you go!” Julie said putting a big duffel bag and a backpack at the other woman’s feet. “Things may be a little bit messy inside, but everything’s in there.For a woman who works at the laundromat I suck at folding clothes.”

“I trust you...and the lack of steal-able items inside the bags helps too…” Ofelia smiled as Julie slapped her arm jokingly.

They girls hugged it out on the way back. Lucifer spread his arms out for a hug too, to which Julie complied hesitantly, making Ofelia laugh at the sight of him hugging the woman fiercely while she looked about to pass out from asphyxiation.

“Why are you always so weird!?” Ofelia asked on the way back to the car.

“I was born this way.” Lucifer said. “Weirdly weird, so I've embraced the madness. Daddy didn't like it too much, but then again I didn't care much about daddy either. And stop doing that...one day your eyes are gonna be permanently detached from their sockets, from so much rolling.”

“Sorry I haven't embraced the madness yet.” she said, entertained.

“You will.”

They drove back to the penthouse, always bantering friendly back and forward.

Once in the penthouse Ofelia walked towards the guest room and placed both her bags on the bag, debating with one to open first.

Ofelia couldn’t help to feel glad that she wouldn't have to wear anything else from Lucifers treasure chest. At some point, the man had wanted to take her shopping, but that would just make her feel even more helpless. She was already living at his home, eating his food and sleeping in his Armani’s shirts. She was grateful to him for everything, but him spending his money on her undies was just a step to far.

Lucifer stepped in behind her and saw her dump the contents of the backpack on the comforter. He sat at the top of the bed, leaning against headboard and stared at her. She seemed somewhat contempt in organising her things. The backpack apparently held her toiletries and he deduced the duffle bag held her clothing.

“You are going to burn a hole in my body if you keep staring” She said, grabbing a pink pouch and looking inside.

“I don't stare. I gaze…” Lucifer said smirking.

“You are going to burn a hole in my body if you keep gazing.” she gave him a triumphant, his smirked stayed put. “What?”

“I have a proposition for you.” Lucifer said, leaning forward and stopped immediately what she was doing and stared at him, her eyes wide. “That’s not it, you filthy woman! Clean your mind!”

Ofelia shook her head and snorted. Not once had he made advances towards her. He had tried flirting at some point but she wasn’t he the mood, so he had let her be. He had never stepped in her personal space or touched her inappropriately.

“What proposition do you have for me then?”

“Well...Since you are apparently a free woman.” He started.

“I’ve always been a free woman...”

“Yes of course, but you know with the whole burning the house down affair and such. Now that you are not devious individual...”

“Have you read my medical files?” She joked and he rolled his eyes.

“You interrupt me again, and I’m dyeing all you clothes bright green...” He saw her gesture her mouth as if she was zipping it. “The proposition is as follows...” He cleared his throat. “Will you be....”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a side-note: I've taken some liberties about the background of the characters, as well as mythological works. Research was done, but I bent the stories a bit.

“Will you be my bartender? At Lux?” Lucifer asked, while she went back and forth between her bags.

“You’re offering me a job?” She was expecting anything, but that.

“Yes…” he leaned back into the headboard comfortably. “One of our girls left a few weeks ago. Something about starting a business of her own. Maze can't do PR and bartend and John, our now only barmen, although very capable, can only do so much. And aside from that, having a woman behind the bar helps with the male customers.” Ofelia opened and closed her mouth to argue with him but he put his hands up. “It's not sexism,my dear...it's business”

She rolled her eyes, while opening her duffel bag and grabbing several items from inside.

“I bet…” she mumbled.

“It's true.” He said closing his eyes. “We have noticed a loss in beverage consumption. Maze has been trying to get someone to help, but they don't last much.”

“Why not?”

“They usually end up in my bed.”

“And that's a no-no?” She found it surprising that the womaniser laying on the bed, wouldn’t allow his female staff to have a go in his rollercoaster.

“Oh no...no. As long as it's not during work hours.” He opened one eye to look at her and saw her shaking her head, laughing quietly. “Anyway, from what I remember, you have some experience right? From that pub in New Orleans?”

Ofelia stopped what she was doing and looked at him. Her expression vague, eyes blank,as if remembering something. She snapped out of it and not looking at him, with her hands on her hips, making him open both eyes to look at her.

“Yeah...I remember too!” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm “The one targeted by a group of white supremacist, that eventually, ended with shots being fired and dead people all around...Yeah, I remember that.”

“Yes, well…” he cleared his throat. Although he didn't believe in her curse, he had to admit, the woman did have extremely bad luck. “It’s working experience.”

Ofelia let out a frustrated sigh and kept folding her clothes.

“Oh come on…” Lucifer gave a big toothy smile. “Think about it...occupation, income, independence.”

Ofelia looked at the man on her bed. Truly looked at him. He was wearing a dark blue,almost black three piece suit, but didn't seem to care it was getting wrinkly with him lounging on the bed. He eyes were sparkling with excitement and his perfectly aligned teeth made her want to punch them for being so perfectly aligned. He was the epitome of an Adonis, with ego and all. And she found his presence incredibly familiar, comforting even. As if she had knew him since the beginning of time.

“You’re staring.” he sang, jokingly and she kept staring at him. “You can stop now...it's getting incredibly uncomfortable.”

“I don’t stare.” She said, mimicking his accent. “I gaze.”

“I don’t talk like that…”

“You kinda do...” She folded a pair of jeans, while nodding.

“I liked you more when you were morose.” Lucifer joked. “You want to do this or not?”

Ofelia nodded and Lucifer clapped excitedly.

“Oh goodie!”

He jumped up from the bed and walked out the door. Before he reached it, and while passing by Ofelia, he bumped his hip into her and the woman yelped, only to start laughing at his antic a second later.

Lucifer was on the threshold of the bedroom when he turned on his heels.

“You should call Detective Decker by the way.” He said pointing at her duffle bag and she was confused. He kept pointing at the duffel bag and Ofelia looked at where he was pointing.

Ofelia’s mouth opened slightly when she placed her hand inside the bag. She grabbed a varsity jacket, black sleeves and hoody, burgundy red body. The back was filled with a miscellaneous of patches, stitched haphazardly, but most important, it had a big, bold patch on the left arm.

Ofelia smiled wide and Lucifer did the same.

* * *

 

Lucifer walked into an empty Lux. He headed straight for the top bar, where Maze was standing, cleaning some glasses. Old habit of hers. She couldn’t keep still, always had to keep her hand moving. In Hell it had been rather easy to give her an occupation. On Earth though, Lucifer never had a glass that wasn’t shining.

“Mazie...” He called, singing her name and Maze’s eyebrows furrowed.

Lucifer sat on a stool, giving her a wolfish smile, and Maze became even more confused at his demeanour. He grabbed something his coat and handed it to her. The demon grabbed it and looked at her it, her expression going from confused, to sad, to angry. Lucifer was hoping it changed from angry to something else, but when she looked up at him enraged, his smile disappeared.

“So you found her again...” Make said, throwing the picture at him. “Did you actually controlled yourself and kept your distance?” One looked at him and she knew he hadn’t. “Lucifer!”

“First of all, I don’t like this whole...” He mentioned them both with his fingers. “Power switch. Second of all, I thought you...” He was going to say 'liked her', but Mazikeen never liked anyone but herself. “I thought you tolerated her.”

The women set the glass she was cleaning down and took a deep breath, looking at her boss in the eye.

“That’s exactly why this...” She mimicked his fingers movement from before, but between him and the photo. “This is gonna end in blood. And with your ‘mortality stint’, I’m not sure which one will be this time.”

“I’ve learned the rules of this game, Maze. I've been doing it for ages.” He said seriously and she looked at him with a challenging look.

“Number one rule should be: Stay away from her. And you blew that one up.” Maze said, grabbing another glass.

“Actually that's rule number...four...” Lucifer said looking at his fingers and he was almost sure that Maze was about to throw that glass at him.

“Lucifer, the fact that you can never stay away from that woman is entrenched in you., whether you're on Earth or not. You know why and I know why. And you needed to control it.”

“Control?” Lucifer said with a snicker. “Me? Come on Maze.”

The demon's eyes grew wide and she placed the glass down on the counter forcefully.

“Please tell me you two haven’t...”

“No!” He said quickly and then got confused. “Ah, look at that...I do have some self control.”

“I’m glad to hear that for once.”

“See, you care about what happens to her.” Lucifer said and Mazed glared. “Maybe not care. Maybe just a bit of concern is more like it. Admit it, you are...pleased...she’s back.”

“Can’t you see that, that’s exactly why I’m not!” Lucifer shook his head and Maze groaned. “Unlike us, she’s...she’s something...but when you two get together it never ends well! Usually for her! And then I’ll have to pick up the pieces!”

“Then I guess you won’t like it that I’ve hired her as a bartender...”

A glass shattered somewhere behind him and he looked at it, flabbergasted. Lucifer looked back at Maze to see her actually fuming and he stopped playing around. His eyes glowed as he stood up from the stool and glared at her.

“That’s enough Mazikeen.” He simply said and the woman stood up straighter, her jaw clenched. “If it pains you to see her harmed, how do you think it makes me feel? If you feel helpless, I feel destroyed! So you are going to swallow all your condescending crap and deal with this without much of a fuss.”

“She’s gonna get hurt, or you are.” Maze argued staring up at him in defiance.

“Well, after all these millennia, we’re already used to it no?” He asked her, even thought neither one of them was.

The devil and the demon stood, staring at each other, his fiery glowing eyes, trying to put her in her place. But Maze wasn’t one to back down. They only stopped when someone shouted from the bottom floors.

“Hello?”

Maze let out a quiet whimper and Lucifer shook his head, putting out the fire in his eyes and placing a grin on his face. He looked at the woman walk through the club. She had gone to the police station to give the jacket to DetectiveDecker and Lucifer took the opportunity to go and smooth the news to Maze.

Ofelia looked around the place in awe. It was as big, if not bigger than his apartment. There was a small dinning area on the lowest level; some scattered tables on the first level, which also had a big black piano in the centre; a few stool, tables and one of the bars were on the second level and on the third there was another bar, bigger the the other one. The lights were dimmed, but the place was illuminated by the two bar areas and some neon signs. That feeling on her lower belly came back, the feeling of being surround by beauty and space.

“She cut her hair.” Maze said.

“She hasn’t let it grown yet.” Lucifer countered and Maze shrugged.

“She’s fatter too.”

“Maze...” He looked at her, daring her to say anything else and she bit her tongue.

Ofelia looked up when she noticed movement and saw Lucifer and another woman standing on the top floor. She gave them a smile and a wave and walked towards them.

Maze whimpered again. She wanted to feel enraged at the girl, even though Maze knew the she wasn’t to blame. As far as the girl was concern, Lucifer was just another guy. It never changed. She never remembered.

When the woman reached them, Lucifer immediately took her side, Maze noticed and sighed.

“Ofelia this is Maze!” Lucifer said. “Maze, Ofelia...”

The girl smiled at her and Maze groaned. Her plan to hate her was slowing cracking. They shook hands and Maze replaced her snarl with a blank face.

“Nice meeting you.” She said and Maze nodded. Ofelia gave her a slight frown and turned to Lucifer. “Detective Decker said to tell you she’s waiting at the station for you.”

Lucifer gave her a big smiled, that made Maze roll her eyes and nodded. He was already wrapped around her little finger.

“Very well, my dear.” He kept the grin and looked at Maze. “Maze, please give the girl a tour of the place, will you?”

Mazikeen looked up at him like he was asking her to renounce hell and walk through the gates of heaven. And he looked back, tilting his head and daring her, once more, to deny his orders. She gave them the most fake smile she could muster and nodded, mentioning the girl to follow her.

The tour was given and once they were both back at the bar Maze had asked Ofelia what could she do, as far and bartender was concerned. Ofelia shrugged and said she could do the basics, but anything more than mixing vodka with orange juice, wasn’t on her curriculum. Yet.

Mazikeen looked at her up and down. She was indeed curvier and her hair was a mess, her clothes seemed like she had gotten dress in the dark and her boots had seen better days. But what made Maze want to punch her in the face was the fact her personality hadn’t really changed much. The demon kept asking herself how can a soul not change after centuries of living in the same body. She still talked her head off when nervous, still smiled that naive smile of hers and still had that glow in her eyes that made Maze want to burn her own eyes out.

The dark skinned woman started teaching Ofelia the advanced basics. The costumers of this establishment wouldn’t be contempt with just a straight whisky. They needed panache.

Maze stood back after explaining how to make a decent cocktail. Memories came running through the demon’s mind.

In a very distant past, even before the Anointed One came, God decided that he needed to take a little load off his shoulders. Watching the whole world was just too much. So He became a puppeteer. He created several lower gods and goddesses. Obviously each of these titles were chosen according to God’s esteem towards his puppets.

In one of the scenarios He had given Lucifer, pretty high ranking status, since He wanted His fallen son back by His side. The angel was given the Underworld to rule over, becoming a God himself for a short period of time. Maze and her mother became some of the lowest ranked creatures and Ofelia become a lower goddess.

And then one day, Lucifer took one look at her and had to have her. And he got her indeed. The story goes he kidnapped her, but the truth is, he just charmed the will out of her and she went with him, happy to be with him, and him with her. People shouldn't believe in everything, most stories are twisted to become whatever is most convenient to Him.

In the Underworld, Ofelia had missed the outdoors, the sun. But Lucifer was that fond of coming to Earth back then still despising anything that was dark and bleak. However Ofelia, as always, found a way to negotiate with him her comings and goings, and him, as always, let her do whatever she wanted, as long as she came back. She came and she went, spending three months away and rest of the year with him. Something that pleased him endlessly.

Maze’s path crossed with Ofelia’s when her mother was beheaded by a brute, that used her head as a weapon.Her mother wasn’t a monster, even though the stories told otherwise, but since God despised her, she had to go. And everything that came with her too. The almighty Father wanted them gone, dust to dust, away from humans and earth. If it came down to Him, she and her brothers and sisters would burn. But burning was Lucifer’s core business, and so they became his to do as he pleased. As long as they stayed out of His sight.

Mazikeen met her, the queen of the Underworld and immediately decided to hate her, mostly because she was allowed outside and Maze wasn’t. Because she was greater than the cursed, orphanage demon. But that didn’t last long.

The demon would swear on her hellish little heart that, the woman had put a spell on her. But in truth, what she and Lucifer did was show Maze and her kindred something they hadn’t experienced before. Kindness from her and respect from him. Ofelia would bring them fruits, flowers and other trinkets from Earth, while Lucifer would school them about the Underworld, giving them something to do, giving them a purpose.

The demon still remembered all of this, like it had been yesterday. And it became harder and harder to hate the girl that was now standing in front of her, trying with all her might, to get the measurements right for some high-end cocktail Maze had just explained.

“So, Ofelia, right?” Maze said leaning against the counter and the girl nodded. “Pretty tragic name to give a kid.”

“Yeah, you should’ve seen my childhood.” Ofelia said, not looking up from the drink.

“Oh?” Maze said, grinning. She wanted to know everything about this woman. She had to be prepared for whatever comes next, and for that she needed information. Maze knew that, if she started a conversation, Ofelia would just unravel in front of her, her nerves getting the best of her. “Your parents didn’t hug you enough?”

“My mother died when I was four.” Ofelia finally looked up from the drink and leaned on the counter opposite of Maze. “I was raised by my father, and had the misfortune of having a child with some kind of disorder and an active imagination. I was blessed with seizures, incoherent babbling and voices in my head.”

Maze raised her eyebrows, wiling the girl to continue.

“A good parent would seek medical help, but not my over religious father. Oh no. He took a good look at me and decided the best thing to do, was call a priest.” Ofelia’s tone wasn’t one of complaint or sadness. It sounded almost comedic. “I was exorcised every other week. And it wasn’t just a priest with a couple of ‘Hail Mary’s'. It was full on exorcisms. Showering in holy water, wearing five crosses, rosaries, nuns, priests...I think at some point, someone sacrificed a chicken. Or a goat...Or both.”

Maze wanted to laugh out loud, and was about to, when Ofelia turned around and pushed the shirt she was wearing up. And then Maze saw red. In the lower-middle of her back a burn scar was carved, in the shape of a cross.

“This was my father’s idea of protection.” She turned and her mocking tone turned cynical. “Just like the drinking of the holy water, the reading of the bible every single day...The reading of my last rites every night, you know, just in case. So yeah, maybe I wasn’t hugged enough as child, but I sure as hell got my share of exorcisms. If that isn’t love...”

When Ofelia stopped talking Maze was clenching her jaw so tight, she thought it would break. The girl in front of her just shrugged nonchalantly about the story she had just told, like she hadn’t just shared the fact that her father had burnt her with a cross, on her back.

“Is your father still alive?” Maze asked her, and she shrugged once more.

“Last time I saw him, he was telling me to go back to a psych ward. Telling me I was dangerous, needed to be contained. After that, I don't know if he died or not.”

Maze nodded. She hoped he was alive, she wanted to burn all sort of shit on him. It was going to be a trip. And the best of it all, if Lucifer knew, he would let her and maybe even help.

“Does Lucifer know about this?” The demon asked, though clenched teeth and the other woman looked confused.

“No, actually...The subject hasn’t come up.”

Maze moaned, satisfied with her answer, glad she was gonna be the one to give Lucifer the news. And those news could mean the torturous end for someone. And that made Maze the happiest she had been all day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments!


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